Farmers' protest: Relay hunger strike begins on Monday, Haryana toll plazas to be blocked

Amid the ongoing impasse between the farmers and the Centre, the unions have announced a 24-hour relay hunger strike tomorrow onwards across all the protesting site. A team of 11 people will begin the relay hunger strike on Monday, said the farmers' unions addressing a press briefing on Sunday evening. Apart from this, the unions have also issued a call to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann ki Baat' programme on December 27. 

Announcing the union's plan to intensify the stir, the representatives stated that farmers would block all toll plazas across Haryana for the next three days. The unions have alleged that the Haryana government is threatening and stopping farmers from marching towards Delhi. Moreover, they all stated that the representatives would write to allies of the NDA government urging them to oppose the Centre's stance and request a rollback of the three farm laws. If the government's allies refuse to do so, protests would be held against them as well, BKU Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said. 

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Next round likely to be held tomorrow: Shah

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that there has been progress in talks with farmers. Addressing a press briefing in West Bengal on Sunday evening, the Union Home Minister said that the next round of discussions with farmers' unions is likely to be held tomorrow or day after. The Centre has held six rounds of talks with the unions so far, all of which have ended inconclusively. The protesting farmers remain stern in their demand which is to repeal all the three farm laws which received the President's assent on September 24 this year. 

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Hearing a petition against the farmers' protest, the Supreme Court had upheld their right to protest peacefully and highlighted the top court's inclination to form a committee to hold talks between the protesting farmers and the Centre. However, it refrained from passing a substantive order as one of the 8 farmers' unions added as respondents were represented in the SC. But it directed that notice should be served on these farmers' associations by Friday and liberty was granted to move the vacation bench. Moreover, the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar wrote an 8-page letter to the farmers highlighting the benefits of the laws and provided a 7-point assurance. 

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Tomar has said that the government is hopeful of resolving farmers' agitation by the year-end, as per PTI. The Prime Minister had addressed Madhya Pradesh farmers assuring the continuance of Minimum support price (MSP), government mandis and lucrativeness of farm agreements. The Prime Minister has also announced that he would address farmers again on December 25 - the birth anniversary of late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee - on the 3 Farm laws and initiate another instalment of direct benefit transfer (DBT) to farmer accounts.

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